The biomechanics team use knowledge of engineering mechanics to help solve biological and medical problems, including specific problems with mechanical characteristics.
These problems may be numerous, especially regarding the problems evident in the field of cardio – vascular (aortic aneurysm, a description of the mechanical behaviour of the tissue), and skeletal-muscles (mobility issues ─ joint replacements, osteoporosis, dental implants, fixators spinal fractures, etc.).
Biomechanics of cardio-vascular system
The research team in this area focuses on the analysis and risk assessment of abdominal aortic aneurysm.
Combining sophisticated experiments, engineering calculations and histological and image analysis it is possible to obtain information about the mechanical properties of soft tissues – particularly the abdominal aorta. This allows the team to create computational models of individual patients, and this work is done in collaboration with the University Hospital St. Anna in Brno which provides CT images of patients and tissues which are collected in operations for mechanical testing and other analyzes. Generated models allow better predictions of ruptures in abdominal aortic aneurysm patients.
The research team, led by prof. Bursa, is currently focusing primarily on basic research but the industry sees great potential for the application of the work. Since abdominal aortic aneurysm occurs in 5-7% of people over 60 years old (4 times more likely in men than in women), applied research can contribute considerably to the reduction in the mortality risk of affected patients.
Biomechanics of skeletal-muscle system
Currently, in collaboration with physicians, the researchers are engaged in the study of many biomechanical problems.
Among the areas in which the research team are focused, are degenerative diseases of large joints, the spine and the use of dental implants.
The development of medicine can lead to specific problems (for example osteoporosis) which needs to be solved by using prosthesis, external or internal fixators. The researchers use computational models, and are able to design the fixators and prosthesis with the best possible parameters for each and every patient. For the models to be exact, it is necessary to research the prosthesis material, but also to focus on the biological material.
This area includes also the biomechanics of large joints.
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Contact person
prof. Ing. Jiri Bursa, Ph.D.
bursa@fme.vutbr.cz